Do you have conversations with yourself? Not necessarily in a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde way, but more of an inner monologue? Maybe you imagine yourself speaking at an engagement, and you practise your speech in your head. Or maybe you have a meeting with your own boss, and you try to create the upcoming conversation. Whatever the case, these inner thoughts can help you make sense of the world around you. But sometimes, a little silence can go a long way.
It’s ok to let your mind wander, and not try to fill that empty space with words. Letting your mind wander activates the default mode network, which helps us integrate things that we see and learn in our environment. Accessing this network will help you expand your awareness and allow you to act with more wisdom when communicating with others.
Problems can happen when you should be paying attention to someone speaking, but instead, you focus internally. While you may have important decisions to mull about, it usually isn’t the right time to focus on yourself when you are supposed to be listening to a presentation or a discussion. Improving your presence and connection with the present is important to maximise your leadership potential.
Learning how to listen is important for an effective leader. Communication skills are often what ‘makes or breaks’ great leaders. Teaching your brain to be in the present with those around you will ensure that new ideas can be bounced back and forth. If your mind is focused on something else, the opportunity for creation might be bypassed.
Strengthening your communication with others and consequently your collaboration skills is essential in this Imagination Age. Gone are the days when the manager just talks and everyone below him or her listens. Employees expect to provide input and insight, and this open communication is what drives innovation.
Collaboration is one of the main pillars of the i4 Neuroleader Model. Collaboration is necessary to get the best results from constantly changing groups of people, and well-developed communication skills are needed to ensure meaningful collaboration.
Most of us have our own little island of self, that place where we talk to ourselves and figure out solutions. We haven’t learned how to properly collaborate in the day-to-day workplace, and how to think out loud with others and create new ideas and reimagine and overturn old ones. The
You’ve probably heard the expression ‘silence is golden’ before. In this case, silencing your own inner monologue can improve your listening ability.
Being able to effectively communicate is required for collaboration, and giving yourself a break and letting your mind truly have quiet time can have a profound impact on your life, both at work and at home.